The Guillotines 'Xue di zi' (2012) (US Import) reviewed by Yags Antunes

Introduction

Being a fervent admirer of Wuxia material, in particular Shaw Brothers classics(The One-Armed Swordsman, Come Drink With Me, The Magic Blade, The Bastard Swordsman et al), I felt the urge to purchase the American Blu-ray copy of The Guillotines, as the film's theatrical trailer, which I had seen fairly recently, had displayed satisfying potential.

The Guillotines features some vigorous action sequences, in which victims are savagely beaten, maimed or decapitated. Moreover, the merciless "Guillotines" are named so because they each wield deadly mechanical discs which, when thrown, envelopes one's head before an ensuing decapitation (strikingly reminiscent of the "flying guillotine" wielded by the evil Master in Master of the Flying Guillotine).


I felt that director Andrew Lau could have perhaps prolonged some of the action sequences as they often seem somewhat short-lived. Furthermore, the guillotine discs used by the "Guillotines" are only seen in action a few times. As the end credits began to roll, I could not help but feel that the mechanical decapitation discs could, and perhaps should, have been given more coverage to not only add to the fantastical and hyperbolic nature of the film's action vignettes, but also to please hardcore fans of the genre.

The film's narrative noticeably contains numerous cliches and is peppered with archetypes, which are to be found within other Wuxia films, literary texts and popular mythology/folklore. One such example is the charismatic resistance leader and sympathetic hero named Wolf (played excellently by Xiaoming Huang), whose image throughout the film perhaps evokes the Robin Hood mythology (leading the oppressed, low-class background, highly skilled in warfare). Overall, the narrative is fairly simple to follow and there are no real plot complications or digressions.

Video

The Guillotines Blu-ray is presented with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in the original 2.39:1 aspect ratio. Shot in digital, director Andrew Lau and cinematographer Edmund Fung deserve credit for the film's overall aesthetic, especially during the battle sequences, in which the hyper-kinetic camera effectively accentuates the bloody conflict.

On the downside, there are minor issues with colour grading at various points throughout the film, though fine image detail is hardly ever compromised.

Audio

The film's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 mix is dynamic and delivers steadily throughout, especially during the fight sequences that feature explosions, the clashing of weapons and clamorous battle cries. Furthermore, the dialogue is presented cleanly throughout the course of the film.

Overall

Whilst The Guillotines will perhaps never be regarded as a landmark Chinese-Hong Kong production, or a classic of the Wuxia genre, it will certainly appeal to followers of the genre. Despite some of the film's shortcomings, this Wuxia actioner features some dynamic action sequences, beautiful location photography and elaborate sets and costumes, all of which are intensified in the US import Blu-ray presentation.